Rory Gumina's 2019 Eagleman Race Plan
Thanks in advance for all comments!
Goals: Top 5 Finish, Under 5:15, Run Strong & Smart (in the heat!)
Thur., June 6
· Arrive Hotel 2:00pm
· Check-in, unpack
· Easy run
· Bike setup
· Lunch (salad from home), Dinner out
· Parking strategy for Race morning
Fri., June 7
· Recon bike course – ride sections as desired
· Swim easy
· Run on run course
· Athlete Check-in (2pm-7pm, Great Marsh Park)
· VIP Credential Pickup (same as above)
· Athlete Briefing (3pm & 5pm, Great Marsh Park)
· Clean & lube bike chain
· Confirm Sat. Lunch reservation
Sat., June 8
· Sleep in, big breakfast, light lunch, early dinner … get take out to save time at dinner
· Begin hydrating with sports drink but no need to go crazy
· Team swim?
· Team Lunch (1pm, ?)
· Bike Check-in (10am-5pm, Great Marsh Park)
Ø Chain to mid-cassette
Ø Recon Transition Area (Swim In, Bike Out/In, Run Out/Finish)
· Mix water bottles: 2 bottles Crank e-Fuel (Team EN, empty GE bottle)
· Cut 3 Base Performance bars into halves for bento (put in plastic bag)
· Base salt for Bento
· Fix Crank e-Fuel bottle and Clif for breakfast
· Early dinner + early bed
· Pack back-pack (see checklist)
Ø Wet suit & Swim skin, Body Glide / Tri Slide, Helmet & Sunglasses, Bike shoes & gloves
Ø 3 Base Performance bars (open), 1 caf gel, and base salt
Ø Nike Vaporfly 4% w/Stryd, and socks with Trislide in toe area
Ø GO BAG: hat, number belt, Hot Shot, 3 caf gels, Sunscreen, and run saver bag
· In bed by 9pm
SUN., June 9 - RACEDAY
· 4:15AM Wake up … Coffee, Crank e-Fuel, & Clif bar for breakfast
· Lube (ankles, wrists, nipples, inside knees), kit, CHIP, HRM, 920 XT watch, sweat pants, IMMT jacket (another Clif in pocket), backpack (wetsuit, race cap, goggles, lube, dry clothes)
· 4:45AM head to transition and get body marked
· 5:15AM Clif gel & Crank e-Fuel
Ø EN Bottle BTA (Crank e-fuel), GE bottle behind saddle (Gatorade bottle)
Ø Base Performance bar halves & Base salt into Bento
Ø Ensure chain is mid-cassette, pump tires, put Garmin 820 on bike
Ø LUBE, goggles, cap, 920xt, put on wetsuit
· EN Team photo
· 6:20AM swim warm-up
· SWIM Goal – 30 min
Ø seed in 30-34 min wave … near front … (alternative is back of 25-29 min wave)
Ø Smooth rhythm – count strokes between BIG buoys (100 yds apart … +/- 45 strokes)
· T1 Goal Under 4 min
Ø Remove cap, goggles, top half, then bottom
Ø Keep wetsuit rolled in a ball … run hard to transition
Ø Helmet, gloves, arm coolers, sunglasses
Ø Take caf Gel
· BIKE – relax, use all gears … Goal: 2:40
Ø 1st 20 min at 175w (till HR settles <120) … then target 190w (ftp 236)
Ø Watch HR! … keep HR <125
Ø Out of Saddle every 30 min … stretch Glutes, Back, etc.
Ø Drink ~2 bottles per hour, especially if HOT!
o Drink every 10 min (garmin alert), and after Base salt (every 3 miles, garmin alert)
Ø Crank e-Fuel rear cage bottle first, then Gatorade Endurance from Aide Stations
Ø PEE at least twice
Ø Eat ½ Base bar at start, then every 30-40 min … more often if HOT!
Ø Aide Stations: Be Ready, Be Careful, Point to, and THANK, volunteers
Ø Near end of Bike
o Feet out of shoes
o Turn on 920xt
o Base Salt into shorts pocket
· T2 Goal under 3 min
Ø Put on socks, Vaporfly(!), Grab go bag and GO
Ø Hat and race belt with #, Run Saver bag, and gels while moving
Ø Start 920xt Run mode
· Run – smooth, easy, increasing effort .. Goal 1:55 (avg. 240 watts, HR 130-135 … =~8:40 pace)
Ø HEAT! … reduce power / pace to maintain HR
Ø Use Stryd xls Tool to adjust Target Power for Heat & Humidity, for example:
o 80F/80rH: 233 watts (=~8:50 pace)
o 90F/90rH: 222 watts (=~9:10 pace)
o HR: Maintain 130-135 bpm
Ø If hot, expect watts to drop 2nd Half due to HR
o Otherwise maintain 240 … build if possible (increase Cadence)
Ø ALL Aide Stations: Drink GE, ice for Run Saver bag
Ø Caf gel every 4miles, starting mile 1 … and Base salt 2 miles after gel
Ø Hold Back out of T2! … Relax! … HR down … Not too fast!
Ø Aide Stations:
o Drink GE, ice for Run Saver bag
o Caf gel every 4miles, starting mile 1
o Base salt 2 miles after gel
o Aide Stations: Be Ready, Be Careful, Point to, and THANK, volunteers
Ø Arms by side & high, knees straight
Comments
First, have fun Rory! I have a few thoughts for you. First, if I had your swim ability I would definitely seed myself in the 25-29 group. If you can draft off someone, you will get some added speed with no cost to you. If you seed yourself in slower group, then you just are working at your normal rate without extra speed from drafting.
For the bike, are you trying to race at 0.85 IF? or what is the number you are targeting? I have found it difficult to hit 0.85 in a half unless I push the entire race. Sure, you can start a little slow, but the ride isn't that long. It's not near the effort of an IM. I'm not sure what your HR max is or how long you can hold certain HRs, but just make sure that your HR target isn't too low. For a half, I let my HR get probably about 15 beats higher for a half compared to a full. I base my HR on what I have been able to hold and perform for races that take similar times. I wouldn't bet on peeing twice on the bike for a half. I think if you need to pee by the time you are almost done on the bike, or at T2 that would be good. Just make sure you are drinking enough and replacing electrolytes.
For the run, I agree start a little slow and get calmed down. I don't worry about my HR at all for the last hour of a run. Good idea to take some base salt and sips of GE at aid stations. Dump water on your head, get ice, stay as cool as possible. How long do you intend to run easy at the start? Are you going to ramp up the effort over a few miles and then be steady?, or is the goal to keep increasing? You may want to see what you have been successful with in the past.
While I don't have a ton of experience like others on the team, I find a half IM is much more of a hard effort compared to a full. I'm not sure if you've ever hit the power targets of a half, but I found it to be challenging until I started really pushing myself. You certainly don't want to blow up, but you need to work hard.
Also, keep things as simple as possible.
I'm sure your going to kill it!
Thanks for your input @Tim Sullivan !
Good point about the swim ... didn't want to re-live the IMLP "jailbreak" ... T-pace (in pool) would net 30 min, so finding "fast feet" in the 25-29 group may be ok
Targeting 0.80 IF ... Bike Race Sim (last wk): 170 watts avg. (0.74 IF), 118 avg. HR ... but IMLP Ride was 119 avg., so may be good to set a target range 115-130 say
Got it re: peeing ... given the expected heat, goal should prob be to pee at least once, just to ensure am hydrating enough
Run - after talking with Coach a few wks ago, target is to get to 240 watts as soon as I can given HR in 130-135 range ... haven't executed power plan for an HIM before, but last wk's Run Race Sim was able to start at 240 for 1st few miles, then ramp up to 250 by the end (in 60 degree temps) ... BUT ... heat mgmt will be critical for this race as you stated ... I will add your suggestions to my plan!
2018 HIM & IM run experiences were not good, but since then run fitness and confidence have grown (credit Run Durability, Erie BQ, Cross Country & Road racing results), so my focus is to execute this Run like a ninja ... and give it hell!
Thanks again for all your support, and for blazing the trail @Tim Sullivan !!!
@Rory Gumina Just some thoughts to your comments.
Crank e-Fuel rear cage bottle first - Have you been training with Crank e-Fuel? Haven't seen this one in awhile. 😏
then Gatorade Endurance from Aide Stations - total 4 bottles? 180 calories x 4 = 720 calories.
Ø PEE at least twice - 2 x in 2.5 hours could possibly mean you are over-drinking. GE and Base have a lot of salt
Ø Eat ½ Base bar at start, then every 30-40 min … more often if HOT! This equals 2 Bars. If it's hot the fat in those bars will slow absorption. You would be better off with chews. Save the bars for IM when your pace is slower. 2 bars 180 x 2 = 360 calories ... and 14 gm fat.
How many cal / hr are you shooting for on the bike? Lets say you are planning on 350 / hr. That's approx. 960 calories for the bike.
Think about dropping at least one bar and add chews. Don't want to change too much at this point, but you're racing!!
Go for it Rory!! 😃
Great plan! You sound ready and confident! As you know heat could be a big factor so be very flexible with your performance goals, IOW, be quick to switch to B, C and D goals.
Looking forward to sharing the course with you.
I have no plan but to survive!
I agree with going with faster swim group. Everything else looks like its solid, well tested and ready to go. Crush it. Execute like you know how.
@Sheila Leard thank you SOOOO much for weighing in! Reminded me to update my EN Nutrition Calculator, resulting in the following:
Bonus: Do you (or anyone) have any comments about Hot Shots for muscle cramping? It was an issue for me at IMLP and IMMT, but not Erie mary ... I've focused on strengthening and stretching (adductors especially), but still had some tightness on runs after long rides this Spring. Experimented with Hot Shots for a few of my recent Ride/Runs ... no cramps, and no ill effects ... but that's not racing. Let me know.
Thanks Again Sheila!!!!!!!!
Thanks @Derrek Sanks ! ... yeah, am keenly aware that race conditions will be pretty much nothing like what I've been training in thus far, so am expecting "moments of discovery" along the way. Will focus on Power for Bike and Run, and use HR to guide effort. IF I'm not stupid, I should be able to be competitive ... and times will be whatever they're gonna be.
Look forward to seeing you again! ... and seeing / meeting the rest of our EN teammates!
Hahaha @Scott Alexander ! ... yes, agree ... Survive may be one of the "goals" that @Derrek Sanks advised me to keep in mind!
See you in MD!!!
Thanks @Robert Sabo ! It'll be a good test for sure!
Good luck in Australia! Have yet to input to your Race Plan (and still plng to do that), but my overall impression was it looked great! ... and that your KQ goal was def in reach! ... will be tracking you!
Also, will be attempting to channel you on my Eagleman run!
I read your race plan after I created & posted mine. I could have saved some time by cutting & pasting at least half of yours! :) Only things that I could add - which you may already know - is to make sure you know where the aid stations are on the bike (looks about mile 14, 28 & 45) and know going in what you think you might need for hydration/nutrition to supplement what you have onboard; one less decision to have to make during the race. The only other is some passdown advice I received from KMF which saved my butt on the last two 70.3's - one of which was in tropical heat & humidity - and that is to have a HR cap on the bike. I have target range but then I have a top-level (for me 150 bpm) and have found in races and rehearsals if I violate it then I fall well short of my run goals.
Looking forward to meeting & racing with you next week!
@Rory Gumina Have a great race.
I don't race much experience in the 1/2 IM and typically in the IM game but like the suggestion to move away from bars for the 1/2. As Tim noted you will be working much harder in the 1/2 than on for an IM.
The heat factor comes down having a smaller window for execution errors. The caveat for you is your are racing for a top 5 so you will need to push to be there. You are utilizing HR and power metrics so just ensure you are sticking you your HR and power max targets. Remember everyone will be suffering the effects from heat as well you need to execute to maximize your level of fitness.
Good adds re: Bike Aide Station mile markers, and HR cap on bike @Ross Randolph , Thanks!
Thx @Gordon Cherwoniak ! Agree, fitness is what it is ... Execution will be the name of the game ... thanks for your insights!!!!!!!!!